Newport wary over proposed CenterLine

Paul Clinton

NEWPORT BEACH -- They’re not sold on light rail.

Worried about the potential for increased passenger loads at John

Wayne Airport, city officials have questioned the environmental review on

the $2.3-billion CenterLine project.

The city’s concerns about the project come on the eve of the Orange

County Transportation Authority’s expected decision to choose a route for

the massive public works project.

“The fact that there’s a light rail connection may make Orange County

more attractive” to visitors, Mayor Gary Adams said. “To the extent that

it contributes to John Wayne, we have some concerns long term.”

Newport Beach joins a host of other cities that have expressed

concerns, or outright opposition, to CenterLine. Orange, Santa Ana and

Anaheim have led the charge. On Tuesday, the Anaheim City Council voted 3

to 2 -- with one council member calling the project “a colossal waste of

money” -- to back the project.

One day before the agency’s deadline for public comments, on Feb. 14,

Newport Beach submitted a report citing its concerns with the county’s

environmental analysis.

The report, prepared by a city advisory committee, criticized the

transit agency’s environmental review, saying it “fails to discuss,

identify, analyze and mitigate the project’s impacts of increased

passenger loads to John Wayne Airport” and “the jewel of Newport Beach --

San Diego Creek and the Back Bay.”

At its March 12 board meeting, the transit agency is expected to pick

a section of the 28-mile route to build.

None of the proposed sections of the route cut across any Newport

Beach boundary, OCTA spokesman George Urch said. Agency officials don’t

agree that the rail line will automatically add passengers at the

airport, Urch said.

“We don’t feel it’s going to add capacity in any form,” Urch said. “It

sounds like we need to put them on our radar screen.”

Costa Mesa, in contrast, has backed the rail project, along with

Fullerton and Irvine.

Newport Beach officials said they aren’t necessarily against

CenterLine, they just want their concerns addressed. Any perception that

the project would lead to some form of expansion at John Wayne sets them

on edge, Vice Mayor Tod Ridgeway said.

“It goes to the perceived fear rather than the reality,” Ridgeway

said. “It demands more study. If there is an impact, you have to mitigate

it.”